


I can try to pretend, I can try to forget.

by fishandchaps



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: F/F, Soulmates, au games, coffee shop AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-10
Updated: 2014-01-09
Packaged: 2018-01-04 07:24:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1078193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fishandchaps/pseuds/fishandchaps
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Soulmates!CoffeeShop!AU </p><p>Johanna has loathed the idea of having a life parter chosen for her, and when her new co-worker happens to be Katniss Everdeen she is enraged. Johanna will have to learn to work with the girl, and try not to fall in love.</p><p>Rated M for future chapters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Hob

Johanna had always wondered what the fuck kind of name "Katniss" was. The name had plagued her since the time she was sixteen, and the black script appeared on her wrist.

She thought the whole Soulmates thing was complete bullshit, so she would normally wear something to cover the name. The universe had no control over whom she would spend the rest of her life with and she knew the moment she met "Katniss" she would let the girl know how much she loathed her. So she went on dates, even though dating someone other than your One was taboo, and she was happy with that.

*

She checked into work after a long day of school, she was an agribusiness major, devoting her work to nature, after a long childhood growing up in the forests of Montana.

Johanna worked at a coffee shop called "The Hob". It's theme was that it didn't have one, all the chairs and tables didn't match and neither did the decor. The owner was an eccentric woman by the name of Effie Trinket. She was as crazy as the shop but Johanna loved her.

Today she had to train a new employee, since school had started back up all the high school kids resigned and were back to business, Effie had to hire a few new hands.

Johanna had been in the middle of fixing up a frappucchino when a girl with long, braided, brown hair stepped into the shop. Over her shoulder she called, "Welcome to The Hob, I'll be with you in a moment." She set the drink in the blender and turned to face the newcomer. Gosh she was gorgeous. Johanna wondered if she might be gay, even if she wasn't it wasn't going to stop her from trying.

"I'm a new employee here, Effie told me today was my first shift." The girl said confidently.

"Yeah? Well you're late." She said with a firm voice, but smiled and gestured the girl behind the counter. "Come on you've got quite a bit to learn today."

Johanna had returned to making the drink, and as she was pouring it into a cup she asked. "So, what's your name?"

"Katniss, I know it's kind of weir-"

"You bitch!"

Johanna shouted crushing the cup in her hand and dropping it to the ground. Heads had turned to the counter and suddenly Katniss was aware of what was going on. She put her hands up and got into a ready position, she learned from doing martial arts.

Effie poked her head in from the back room. "What on earth is going in here, ladies?" But she was only looking to Johanna.

Johanna made a face like it was obvious what was going on. Katniss was still wondering what her co-worker was so mad about when Johanna slipped off the sweat band around her wrist and held it up.

"She's my fucking Soulmate." She turned to her boss. "Effie she can't work here, I'm not working here with her."

"Johanna." Effie crossed and grabbed onto the girl's raised hand. "She's your One and you're going to make such a bad impression?"

"Johanna?" Katniss cut in, and rolled up her sleeve to reveal the other girl's name on her wrist. "I'm so glad to finally meet you!"

Effie smiled.

"Save it bitch." Johanna spat, she pulled her hand free from Effie's grasp and left.

Effie sighed and turned to Katniss. "I suppose I can show you around while she cools off. She has been venting and ranting about meeting her One for as long as I can remember. She'll come around, just don't step on her toes hm?"

Effie and Katniss kept the shop running until closing, it wasn't like they got much business anyway.

Effie was going to have to have a chat with her employee. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay this is the first chapter of my first fic ever! This is un-beta'd so if you catch any mistakes please let me know. Be sure to leave a comment or message me on my tumblr. 4r0g5.tumblr.com if you liked it! Thanks!


	2. Dickhead

Once Katniss had gotten home she was beat, and confused, but mostly tired. Effie had done her best to cheer her up, but meeting Johanna had been a crazy experience.

Her parents had always gotten along so well, until her dad died. She had always wondered what kind of person Johanna would be. But she didn't need anybody to be happy, she supposed. 

Still, Katniss didn't understand. Johanna was supposed to be her perfect match, Effie said she'd come around but it didn't seem like that was the case.

Sighing, she turned off the light and laid awake in her bed, unable to fall asleep.

*  
The next morning Katniss went out to the shooting range to blow off some steam before work. Her father was big into bow hunting, and even shooting at the range made her feel closer to him. 

Her shooting wasn't her best, she couldn't quite focus. She breathed deep and held her breath when she remembered the way Johanna had been so enraged. She fired the arrow and it hit a couple inches right of the target. God, it was so annoying, the girl was plaguing her thoughts. 

After shooting for awhile she packed up her stuff and loaded up in her truck, headed off to work. 

* 

She arrived at work before Johanna did and that gave her a bit of time to chat with Effie. She knocked on the door to her office and stepped inside. 

"Morning."

"Good morning, dear," Effie smiled and sat up in her chair. Her pink hair was done up and Katniss could have sworn it was purple yesterday. "Hopefully Johanna will behave herself today." 

"Yeah..." Katniss wasn't so sure that would happen. "Listen I have a question about one of the drinks." 

Once Effie had finished showing Katniss how to make the drink she turned the sign on and unlocked the front door to open the shop. Johanna arrived a few minutes late. She said nothing as she stepped behind the counter and put on her apron. 

"Look who's late this time..." Katniss mumbled. Johanna shot her a glare but continued to say nothing. 

The day went by with neither of them saying a word to the other, unless it had to do with work. During the last hour of the shift Katniss finally spoke up. "I don't know why you're so against getting to know me. It's inevitable, Soulmates always wind up together. It's a scientific fact." 

Johanna groaned. "Listen cat-brain, or should I say brainless? Science isn't going to tell me who I spend the rest of my life with and it sure as hell isn't going to be you." She crossed her arms defensively. "Look there's nothing I have against you, other than the fact that you would blindly follow whatever markings magically appear on your body." 

Katniss rolled her eyes. 

"I have a boyfriend anyways, so don't waste your time, we've been together since we were kids." Johanna wanted to crush Katniss, break her heart and maybe she'd leave her alone. "I just know I love Finnick and there's nothing that will come between us."

"Oh so Finnick's his name?" Katniss scoffed and leaned against the counter. Katniss glanced up at the clock and began removing her apron. "Fine, whatever." She left the room to retrieve her bag from the lockers in Effie's office, then returned walking towards the door. "Have a good life. I'll turn in my two weeks tomorrow and then we'll never have to see each other again." 

Johanna felt hurt as she watched Katniss exit the building. She didn't really know why but there was a pang of guilt in her heart. She didn't mean to make the other girl quit.

*

Finnick and Johanna were inseparable from the day they met. Johanna was all crooked teeth and messy brown hair, and Finnick was older and wiser and he had finally hit puberty. 

The two of them met in junior high, hormones blazing. Both of them convinced that their Ones were dead and that they should get together. It was unheard of though, dating in school, unless you had happened to meet your One at such a young age. 

They acted like best friends and their family's became incredibly close, taking vacations together and going hunting. The two love birds didn't have a hard time finding time alone together, especially once they were in high school. 

But once the boy had graduated, he went off to college, where he met a beautiful red headed girl with his name on her wrist. And she never heard from him again. 

She tried contacting him. Leaving desperate messages. She knew that he had to come back to her, and that this new girl couldn't replace what they'd had together. But it was not so, and Johanna spent much of her time crying, cursing Katniss's name, marking it out with a permanent marker, she even dyed part of her hair red to try to make Finnick like her again. 

Eventually she realized how insane it all was, to stalk this boy, so eventually she just stopped trying and let it go. 

*

Tears stung Katniss's eyes as she went to her truck and started the ignition. She knew it was just her body chemistry, humans just weren't made to fight with their One's it took all she had not to go back and apologize, but she had her pride. Johanna would come crawling back to her, and Katniss was going to teach her how much Johanna needed her. 

She drove off to the two bedroom apartment she shared with Peeta and Gale, two bedrooms because Peeta and Gale are Soulmates. She took a sleeping pill and went to straight to bed once she got home not bothering to check in on the boys. 

*

Johanna sighed and rubbed her hand across her face. She was exhausted emotionally and physically. Why did she bring up Finnick at all? Katniss seemed like a sweet enough girl, and Johanna knew she was in the wrong for yelling at her. But she too had her pride to worry about, and she wasn't sorry enough to apologize. 

Katniss was nothing to her, just a stranger that, while they were together, bucket loads of oxytocin were released into her body. She wasn't going to let her body chemistry make her feel guilty. Katniss would quit, she'd never have to see her again, and that would be that. End of story. 

Johanna got into her car and drove to the shabby run down apartment, which was all she could afford, she didn't have daddy, or anyone to help her with anything. That life was behind her and nothing was going to make her get back into contact with her folks. 

She threw her stuff down by the door and sat on her bed staring at the name on her wrist. "Katniss Everdeen" She repeated the name over in her head. The fight was bringing her such a sense of longing. 

She would just have to resist for two weeks and she'd be free from her One.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well I made this chapter centered around Johanna again, I need to write more Katniss stuff. Oops.


	3. Are you mine?

"Johanna!" Effie shrieked once she found Katniss's letter on her desk. "Johanna come in here this instant!"

Katniss smirked at her co-worker and Johanna rolled her eyes as she went back to Effie's office to get berated for making Katniss quit. 

"Young lady! I will not have you running off my employees. Especially your One for Christ's sake. You go in there and apologize to her right now." Effie was determined to get the two girls to be able to work in tandem. She was always a hopeless romantic and couldn't bear to watch soulmates fighting. 

"I'm not going to apologize to her! It's her fault for believing in this stupid system. She thinks we're destined to be together." Johanna walked out of the office without giving Effie a chance to respond. She was lucky she was a hard worker or she'd be looking for another job.

Katniss and Johanna worked together often. Effie put them on as many shifts together as possible for the last two weeks of Katniss's stay at her establishment. Which led to lots of little arguments between them. 

"I need to use the blender." Johanna would say. 

"Well to bad. I'm using it." 

"Yeah, but my order came before yours." 

"Sucks for you then." 

Johanna would sneer even though the chemicals in her brain would fire up, making her want to lean in and touch Katniss, maybe kiss her? 

No no, Johanna would drop it and walk away, trying to put as much distance between the two of them. 

Katniss was feeling just as frustrated as Johanna. She'd think Johanna would finally succumb to their chemistry, but then she'd just walk away. The two girls were both just watching to see who would break first. Who would cave and apologize and beg. 

Well thank God one of them finally caved during their last shift together. An angry customer returned a drink to the counter. 

"Um. I asked for no whipped cream?" 

"I'm sorry ma'am." Johanna gave a rehearsed apologetic look. "I'll get that fixed for you right away." 

She turned to Katniss who was restocking the sugar packets on the counter. "You got it wrong, again. She asked for no whipped cream." Johanna said through gritted teeth, slamming the cup down beside the other girl.Katniss jumped and spun around to face her accuser.  
"Oh no! Maybe I'll get fired sometime in my last two hours of working here!" Katniss spat sarcastically. 

"Well I'm not fixing your mistakes." Johanna leaned in and growled in her ear. "Make it again."

Katniss smirked, she knew Johanna well enough to finally win this game of cat and mouse. 

"Yes ma'am." 

Johanna was shocked at the subservient term. She was dominant by nature, making something in her brain rush through her body. It didn't even seem to come from her brain, but her soul maybe. She needed to just lean in... She braced her arms on either side of Katniss and pressed her lips to the other girl's. 

Katniss was shocked at first at the sudden change in Johanna's character, she didn't think her plan would work that well. Her fingers flexed, but she relaxed and closed her eyes pressing her lips into her One's. 

Effie cleared her throat from behind Johanna, and the angry customer looked away with her face turning a little pink. "Ladies, ladies, you can do that after your shift." 

*

Johanna was so shocked that she actually kissed that bitch. It was just an instinct, nothing more. But she couldn't stop thinking about the way Katniss had completely softened beneath her. She was so confused, and she couldn't look at Katniss in the eyes knowing she had lost their little game. 

The shift ended. The two girls hung up their aprons and retrieved their belongings. Effie had the wildest smile on her face when they stepped into her office. Johanna groaned and took her leave. Katniss stayed behind to beg for her job back. 

* 

Katniss had no trouble convincing Effie to let her continue to work at The Hob, though she would have to take a week off because she wasn't placed on the schedule. They had a short chat before Effie slid a sticky note across the table with a cell phone number on it. 

"What's this-"

"Johanna's," Effie smiled as she grabbed her bag and keys to lock up the shop. "Enjoy your week Katniss." The two of them walked out into the parking lot and Katniss climbed into her truck and drove home. 

*

Johanna wondered how she could be so stupid to succumb to the birdbrain's plot. It was, of course, a plot. Katniss was evil. She had the allure of feminine charm and a fiery personality. 

She had won this time but that kiss didn't mean anything. Johanna was going to do anything in her power to steer clear of the girl. 

But she couldn't deny the wistful daydreams that would attack as she was falling asleep. She no longer had nightmares about a certain redhead that wanted to kill her. 

*

A few days past where Katniss just went about her normal routine. She cleaned up the house, went fishing with Gale, and tried learning how to make a creme brule from Peeta, the consistency was way off. But in the back of her mind she thought of Johanna. How showing her that they were meant for each other would be a lot of work. 

They worked so well together in the shop, and if Johanna would give her a chance they would probably find that they had much in common. 

Eventually Katniss sent her a text.

Hey hot lips. -K

What do you want, Katpiss? -J

I want to get to know you. What do you like to do? -K

 

A hobby of mine is killing unsuspecting animals in the forest. -J

Oh, I love hunting! I used to go all the time with my dad. I like bow hunting what about you? -K

There Katniss went again acting so down to earth and easy to talk to. Johanna was furiously punching the buttons down on her phone. 

I use a fucking Browning rifle. -J

Katniss sighed and bit her lip in frustration. She was texting away while her and her roommates were watching a movie. She didn't even know what was going on anymore. 

"Are you okay?" Peeta paused the movie and gave Katniss a concerned look. 

Katniss had completely forgot to share the news of meeting her One with her friends. In fact, she hadn't told anyone. "I, um..., I'm texting Johanna." She mumbled. 

Gale practically choked on his popcorn. "You're what!?" He blinked. "You've met your One? When were you going to tell us? Katniss this is great!" He shot Peeta a fond look remembering the moment that the two of them had met. 

The look of disappointment on Katniss's face gave both of them worry. "She's one of those people who believe you can be with someone other than your One." She groaned. "We have a lot in common, we obviously have chemistry, but she has a boyfriend apparently." 

"I'm sorry Katnip, I'm sure she'll come around. I mean she has to. Nobody has ever been able to resist their One, especially when she's a beautiful girl like you." He smiled.

Katniss half way smiled, she knew it would happen eventually, but that didn't stop her from wanting to be with Johanna now. 

We should go hunting sometime. -K

No. -J

Why? Are you afraid you'll be unable to resist me? -K

I don't trust stupid people with weapons. -J

Katniss rolled her eyes and decided to put it to rest. She grabbed a handful of popcorn and retreated back into her room.

"Goodnight boys."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I have a beta now, so hopefully the fic goes uphill from here. 
> 
> My awesome beta is: http://thoughtsrunrampant.tumblr.com/


	4. I put your picture away

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Domestic violence. TW: Slurs and general cussing but there's already been that.

Because of the household she grew up in, Johanna vowed to never turn out the way her parents were. She had no idea how they could be soulmates with their constant bickering. They even had separate bedrooms. But, they believed so strongly in whatever higher power had put them together. 

There was one incident in particular which Johanna would never forget. Her parents fights were usually those of verbal nature, nagging and sometimes yelling, but on one occasion things had gone from bad to worse. 

Johanna's father, Mitchel, had come home piss drunk; he stumbled into the living room where his wife was sitting watching a wedding show. 

"Augh, not this shit again. Fucking bitch thinks everything's fairytales and shit. I ain't no prince." Mitchel slurred, dropping a bottle of some cheap booze down on the table. 

"Where the fuck have you been, Mitch? Leaving me home alone with Jo." Ruth spat standing up from her chair. 

An eighteen year old Johanna sat listening tentatively at the top of the stairs, hidden from view. 

"Well wouldn't you like to know, you nosey witch." Mitchel smiled and giggled as he began to stumble towards the stairs. Ruth caught him in time and spun the man around to face her, grabbing the front of his shirt. 

"I thought we said we weren't going to the cabaret anymore." She said through gritted teeth. Mitchel just spit at her. Fire rose up in Ruth's eyes and she drew her hand back and gave a monstrous slap across her husbands face. 

It took the man a little while to realize what had happened. "Did you just... hit me?" He asked, lifting a had to feel his face. "You did! You fucking whore!" He used all of his strength to push the woman back against their coffee table, with a china tea set crashing to the hardwood floor. 

Ruth landed with a grunt, and before Mitchel had the chance to pin her down to the table, she landed a punch square on his nose. 

Johanna never had seen her parents get physical before, and she rushed down the stairs to try to put a stop to it. She was, in fact, an adult now. "Mom! Dad! What on earth is going on!" She acted as though she hadn't been listening the whole time. 

Once she came into their living room she realized the extent of the damage. Her father was blotting at the blood dripping from a broken nose, and her mother was picking shards of a tea cup out of her arm. 

"There's the fucking traitor!" Mitchel said storming over to Johanna, towering over her. "You're not still seeing that boy are you now? Little whore can't wait for Catmess whatever?" He was yelling from deep in his chest, blood and spit dripping down his face. Nothing else was going to happen until he got an answer out of Johanna. 

"I love Finnick." Johanna said defiantly with tears threatening to spill out from her eyes. 

Her father closed his eyes and shook his head, drawing his hand back to strike his daughter. When there was a loud clang, and Mitchel fell to floor with a thud. 

Johanna opened her eyes, she didn't even know she'd closed, to see her mother holding a pot from the kitchen. "Mom!" She said horrified at the scene before her. 

"Honey, he's fine. I was just trying to protect you." 

Johanna shook her head and ran upstairs to her room, packing her belongings. She took a duffle bag and a suitcase of clothes and threw her wallet into a purse she never used. 

She returned down the stairs and her mother noticed what was happening. "No, Johanna! Baby! Don't leave me here with him!" 

Johanna shoved past her and moved towards the front door. 

"Get him to a hospital." She said firmly, and then she left. Never to come back. Never returning phone calls. Never seeing her parents again. 

Johanna got into her car and drove. She drove until she was low on gas, filled up, and drove some more. She stayed awake on coffee, not stopping to sleep. Eventually she had driven from Montana to Tennessee. Where she fatefully stopped for another cup of coffee at The Hob. 

*

Finally Katniss was back to work. She hadn't texted Johanna for the rest of the week nor did she receive any texts from her. 

An hour into their first slow shift together Katniss broke the ice. "Johanna do you fish?"

"Yeah." Johanna said slightly annoyed.

"My friend and I are going fishing this weekend, why don't you come with us?"

"Why? so you can seduce me?"

Katniss groaned in frustration. "Quit acting like you're the only one annoyed here, I don't know what your problem is. I've been nothing but nice to you from the start, and you've just childishly danced around what's going on here." 

Johanna sighed and returned to washing a plate she'd abandoned. She realized how much of a bitch she was being, but there was no way in hell she'd apologize. "What time are you going?"

Katniss smiled. "We're leaving Saturday morning around seven. You can come over to my apartment around six thirty." 

"I'm not definitely doing anything yet." 

"Well the offer still stands." 

* 

The shift went by quite pleasantly with very few snarky remarks from Johanna. The girls took off their aprons and went to pick up their stuff from Effie's office. Their boss sighed and smiled. "Ahh the energy between you two is so much better! Maybe you two just needed a break." 

Johanna groaned and rolled her eyes, but she smiled at Katniss. 

"I'll text you." She mumbled, but Katniss still heard her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gosh guys sorry this chapter was so dramatic. The fishing chapter will be nice and fluffy~.
> 
> Un-beta'd because I'm lazy. Let me know if you see any mistakes.


End file.
